Toy Museum

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Ever since the Middle Ages Nuremberg has been a city of toys. Today, the world-famous Toy Museum with its wealth of exceptional exhibits breathes new life into this great historic tradition over 1,400 m² of exhibition space.

Visitors are greeted by wooden toys on the ground floor. Dolls, exquisite doll's houses and optical gadgetry on the first floor provide an insight into the lifeworld of past centuries.

The worldwide most important collection of Lehmann tin toys is the focus of a museum section depicting the history of the company. A "World of Tinplate" is presented in the second floor. Cars, trains and steam engines are testimony to the outstanding role the Nuremberg toy manufacturer played in the area of technology.

On the top floor those devotees of more recent favorites like Lego, Barbie, Playmobil or Matchbox cars will really enjoy themselves. In an imaginative children's area under trained supervision little visitors can play to their heart's content.

During the summer a large outside play area, the museum café "La Kritz" in the secluded inner courtyard and the "realm of shadows" in the cellar vaults are also available.

Key facts:

Nuremberg has been a city of toys for more than 600 years

the Toy Museum Nuremberg owes much to the passion for collecting of Lydia Bayer (née Bauer, 1897-1961) and her husband, Paul Bayer (1896-1982)

the collection contains more than 80,000 objects including dolls, toy shops, tin figures, metal and wooden toys and modern toys such as Lego, Barbie, Playmobil or Matchbox

a special attraction for children is the large outdoor play area and the "Light and Shadows" exhibit in the historical vaulted cellars

information for handicapped people

Toy Museum:

The collection of the Toy Museum contains ca. 65,000 objects, of which only five percent are on currently on display. All other objects can be seen in a virtual museum's depot.

The “Gockelreiter” Fountain – designed by the Nuremberg artist Michael Matthias Prechtl – stands in front of the Toy Museum and emphasizes Nuremberg’s important role as a city of toy production.

The basis of the museum’s collection came from the Bayer family, who started their private collection of toys as early as the 1920s.

In addition to the Toy Museum, the Germanisches Nationalmuseum also has an extensive collection of toys.

The Toy Museum is located in the Haller House, the former residence of the patrician Haller family, built in the 16th century. The Renaissance façade is adorned by a richly-decorated wooden oriel, typical for Nuremberg.